Srinagar: In the early hours of Tuesday, four army personnel, including an officer, succumbed to injuries sustained during a gunfight with heavily armed terrorists in the Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir, according to official sources.
The encounter occurred late Monday evening when troops from the Rashtriya Rifles and the Special Operations Group of the J&K Police launched a joint cordon and search operation at Dhari Gote Urarbagi in the Desa forest belt, approximately 55 km from Doda town.
Security officials reported that the militants opened fire with automatic weapons on the search party at around 9 pm. “The troops returned fire, resulting in a fierce exchange during which five soldiers were injured,” an official stated.
The injured soldiers were promptly evacuated to a nearby military hospital. Tragically, four of the critically injured soldiers, including an officer, succumbed to their injuries early Tuesday morning.
The search operation in the forest area continues, with additional army, police, and paramilitary personnel deployed to reinforce the siege and assist on the ground. Security forces are utilizing drones and sniffer dogs to track the militants’ movements.
This incident marks the second major militant attack on security forces in the Jammu region within the past eight days. On July 8, militants ambushed an army convoy in the border district of Kathua, resulting in the deaths of five soldiers and injuries to five others.
Security agencies have noted a concerted effort by militants to shift their activities from Kashmir to the Jammu region, as evidenced by a series of attacks on security forces in recent years.
In a statement on X, the Indian Army expressed solidarity with the bereaved families. “COAS General Upendra Dwivedi and all ranks of the Indian Army convey their deepest condolences to the #Bravehearts Captain Brijesh Thapa, Naik D Rajesh, Sepoy Bijendra & Sepoy Ajay, who laid down their lives in the line of duty while undertaking a counter-terrorist operation in Doda to ensure peace in the region,” the statement read.
J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha also condemned the terrorist attack, expressing deep anguish over the loss of the soldiers. “Tributes to brave soldiers who made the supreme sacrifice protecting our nation. My deepest condolences to members of the bereaved families,” Sinha posted on X.
Sinha vowed to avenge the deaths of the soldiers and called for unity in the fight against terrorism. “We will thwart the evil designs of terrorists and their associates. I urge the people to provide accurate information to help intensify anti-terror operations and neutralize the terror ecosystem,” he added.
